Started using a new skin retouching technique. What do you think?

Have you guys heard about Frequency separation as a way to retouch skin? I found this is just super amazing!

The idea is that this separates color and textures on two separate layer, low frequency (color) and high frequency (textures). That way, when you do the heal & cloning on the high frequency, it doesn't cause color casts, and vice versa.

Check out my before and after:

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Here's the youtube video that I learned it from, courtesy of ModelMayhem

The main difference is that I use Dust & Scratches instead of Gaussian Blur for the low frequency. Learned that from a professional retoucher friend of mine who uses frequency separation on a daily basis.

I am noticing that her skin is covered in tiny little bumps mainly on her forehead and upper bust ( kinda like a textured mat ). And slightly just above the lipstick on her upper lip.

Eyes, nose and chin look great.

Click to expand...

yea, the thing about frequency separation is that you can control the skin smoothing. It's harder to see it on a smaller scale here, but the tiny little bumps are are her skin texture. The Olympus Zuiko 4/3 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 mkII lens that I use was freakishly sharp. At 100%, I felt I had way more detail than I remember before with this lens.

I'm still trying to experiment on fine tuning the skin smoothing on the lower frequency layer.

Have you used this technique before? What's the best way to maintain texture, but smooth it out a bit more?

As a commercial image the retouching would be find for beauty but for my personal tastes its a bit too much. Of course thats probably because I've been retouching since the 90s and am sick of it. :smile:

I always like to get to this point of super clean skin then pull back a bit. I also like to leave a few flaws in there like a fly away hair or piece of fabric so as to distract the viewer just a tiny bit, slight of hand, like in magic.

As a commercial image the retouching would be find for beauty but for my personal tastes its a bit too much. Of course thats probably because I've been retouching since the 90s and am sick of it. :smile:

I always like to get to this point of super clean skin then pull back a bit. I also like to leave a few flaws in there like a fly away hair or piece of fabric so as to distract the viewer just a tiny bit, slight of hand, like in magic.

Click to expand...

I think that's what's really nice about the frequency separation, you can fine tune it a bit more, as opposed to let say using the skin softening brush on Lightroom or using Portraiture or Portrait Professional. Have you had experience with this technique? What are the ways to improve my technique on it? I do like having skin texture. A bit smooth, but not plastic

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